The Scandinavian Wildlife Film Festival (SWFF) takes place in Hunnebostrand, Sweden every other year with the next festival happening January 25-28, 2018. It is organized by the Association of Swedish Wildlife Filmmakers, a non-profit organization of filmmakers living or working in Sweden. New for this year is that our sister organizations in Denmark and Norway will also be active in organizing the festival.

The festival promotes nature/wildlife documentaries produced by filmmakers living or working in Scandinavia (Sweden, Denmark, Norway), Finland and Estonia. Although filmmakers must be living or working in these countries to qualify, the films can depict nature/wildlife from anywhere in the world.

The festival places a special emphasis on young wildlife filmmakers (up to 29 years old) with three competitions:
The Young Filmmakers Competition (Category B) is for wildlife filmmakers up to 29 years old living in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland or Estonia.
The Pitch – with SVT is an opportunity for young people to pitch their program ideas for Swedish Television. (For more information visit www.swff.se/svt_pitch.html )
Film Rally – during the festival young people can try their hand at wildlife filming. Equipment and guidance are provided while they film and edit a 60 second film in one day. (For more information visit www.swff.se/filmrally.html )

Awards & Prizes

Awards given only for the Young Filmmakers Competition (For filmmakers up to 29 years old)

Overall Best Film
Best Filmmaker 16-29 years old
Best Filmmaker up to 15 years old
Highly Commended Diplomas

(The festival reserves the right to change the award categories)

Rules & Terms

The 4th SWFF Call for Entries is open from July 1st to October 1st.
(Absolute final submission date for Category B - Young Filmmakers Competition is December 1st)

Filmmakers must be living or working in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland or Estonia.

Films can be submitted in one of three categories:
A – Wildlife Filmmakers - Non-competitive
B – Work in Progress
C – Young Filmmakers Competition – for filmmakers up to 29 years old.

Films in all categories must have one of the following themes: Nature, Wildlife, Sustainability, People in Nature.

Films may have been previously entered in other, similar festivals.

The number of entries by one author is not limited.

It is preferable, but not mandatory, that all films have English subtitles.

If you submit to Category A- Wildlife Filmmakers or Category B – Work in Progress, please plan to send someone involved in the production of the film. Participation at the Festival is mandatory for films accepted under these categories.

If you submit to Category C - Young Filmmakers Competition your participation at the festival is strongly encouraged but not mandatory.

Entrant guarantees that third parties have no claim on the submitted films.

Acceptable preview screener must be a private/password-protected and downloadable video file in any of the following formats: MOV, MP4 or AVI (max 5 GB). We do not accept entries that are viewable in public domain!

Each entry must be accompanied by the items below:
- at least two (2) publicity stills from the film
- full production credits
- director's/presenter's contact (e-mail & postal address)
- film synopsis max 100 words
- trailer (YouTube link or downloadable)

If the film does not meet all of these requirements, it will not be eligible for selection.

It is important to enter your films as early as possible! The Festival is not in obligation to view late entries!

Selection Process

Category A – Wildlife Filmmakers

The Selection Committee appointed by the Organizers will make the selection from the entries. SWFF will select 8-10 films to be screened in the regular program with a presentation and Q&A with the filmmaker.

Entrants will be notified of their acceptance or rejection to the Festival by November 15, 2017. SWFF is under no obligation to provide comments or feedback regarding the submitted film to the applicant or any other representative of the submitted film.

Category A - Wildlife Filmmakers whose films are chosen to be screened in the regular program will be asked to provide a high quality copy of the film for screening at the Festival.

Screening copy may be in the following formats: DVD, Blu-ray, DCP or a digital file. File format: MOV, MP4 or AVI.

The screening copies must reach the Organizers by January 1, 2018 at the latest.

The full list of films admitted to the program will be published on the Festival website www.swff.se on December 1, 2017.

Full details on all films and program information will be announced on the Festival website www.SWFF.se on December 1, 2017.

Category B – Work in Progress

The Selection Committee appointed by the Organizers will make the selection from the entries. SWFF will select 3-4 films to be screened in a Work in Progress session.

Entrants will be notified of their acceptance or rejection to the Festival by November 15, 2017. SWFF is under no obligation to provide comments or feedback regarding the submitted film to the applicant or any other representative of the submitted film.
Filmmakers whose project is chosen to be presented as Work in Progress Filmmakers will have 15 minutes to present their project with pictures, trailers etc. The presentation will be followed by a 15 minute Q&A session with other wildlife filmmakers offering constructive criticism.

Filmmakers will be asked to provide files for presenting their project. Acceptable formats PowerPoint, Keynote, DVD, Blu-ray, or digital file. File format: MOV, MP4, or AVI. These files must reach the Organizers by January 1, 2018 at the latest.

Category C – Young Wildlife Filmmakers competition

All qualifying Young Filmmakers submissions will be accepted and considered for competition.

To qualify:
Filmmaker must, in January 2018, be less than 30 years old.
Film length max 10 minutes.
Film must be filmed and produced in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland or Estonia.
Film must have theme about nature, wildlife, sustainability, people in nature.

The competitive films are judged by a jury of six members, who are filmmakers and nature experts. The jury will award the following prizes:
- Best overall film
- Best filmmaker 16-29 years old
- Best Filmmaker up to 15 years old
- Highly commended Diplomas

(The festival reserves the right to change the award categories)

All entries selected to Category C – Young Filmmakers competition will receive a participation certificate.

Screening and Promotion

All films selected to the program will be screened only at the Festival events. Any additional screenings outside the Festival program shall require a separate prior consent expressed by the producer or distributor.

Participant consents to the Organizers publishing information about the film on the festival website as well as in all printed festival (such as the catalogue, the program, leaflets, etc.) and press materials.

Participant consents for noncommercial Festival purposes, media, television stations and partner Internet portals may be granted access to film materials (stills, information), trailers or film excerpts of a max 3 minutes.

Participant shall not withdraw his/her film from the Festival once the selection is confirmed by the Festival.

The films accepted to the Festival shall be available for free viewing at the Festival video library during the Festival.

All preview copies will remain in the Festival archives and will be exclusively used for the Festival promotional events and in educational purposes.

Accommodation Expenses

With each film selected to the Category A - Wildlife Filmmaker or Category B – Work in Progress one person - director, producer, cinematographer, distributor or official representative - is required to attend the Festival on the day their film is screened. The Organizers will cover the costs for accommodation during the Festival January 25-28, 2018 and travel costs within Sweden.

Final Provisions

The Organizers assume responsibility for the screening copies of films during the Festival. The screening copies will be returned to their owners within two months.

The Organizers will meet the costs of return shipping.

Copyright: Submitting the films to the Festival the participants are simultaneously agreed to permit entries to be shown during the Festival without any charge to the Festival Organizers.